releases

Cecile Kohler, 41, and her partner, Jacques Paris, 72, had been jailed on charges of spying for France and Israel.

Iran has released two French nationals imprisoned for more than three years on spying charges their families rejected, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, though it remains uncertain when they would be allowed to return home.

Expressing “immense relief”, Macron said on X on Wednesday that Cecile Kohler, 41, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72 – the last French citizens officially known to be held in Iran – had been released from Evin prison in northern Tehran and were on their way to the French embassy.

He welcomed this “first step” and said talks were under way to ensure their return to France as “quickly as possible”.

The pair were arrested in May 2022 while visiting Iran. France had denounced their detention as “unjustified and unfounded”, while their families say the trip had been purely touristic in nature.

Both teachers, although Paris is retired, were among a number of Europeans caught up in what activists and some Western governments, including France, describe as a deliberate strategy of “hostage-taking” by Iran to extract concessions from the West.

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said they had been granted “conditional release” on bail by the judge in charge of the case and “will be placed under surveillance until the next stage of the judicial proceedings”.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France 2 TV they were in “good health” at the French ambassador’s residence but declined to give details on when they would be allowed to leave Iran.

Their Paris-based legal team told the AFP news agency in a statement that the release had “ended their arbitrary detention which lasted 1,277 days”.

The release comes at a time of acute sensitivity in dealings between Tehran and the West in the wake of the US-Israel 12-day war in June against Iran and the reimposition of United Nations sanctions in the standoff over the Iranian nuclear programme, which the country insists is purely for civilian purposes.

Some Iranians are concerned that Israel will use the sanctions, which are already causing further economic duress in the country, as an excuse to attack again, as it used the resolution issued by the global nuclear watchdog in June as a pretext for a war that was cheered by Israeli officials and the public alike.

The French pair’s sentences on charges of spying for France and Israel, issued last month after a closed-door trial, amounted to 17 years in prison for Paris and 20 years for Kohler.

Concern grew over their health after they were moved from Evin following an Israeli attack on the prison during the June war.

Kohler was shown in October 2022 on Iranian television in what activists described as a “forced confession”, a practice relatively common for detainees in Iran, which rights groups say is equivalent to torture.

Her parents, Pascal and Mireille, told AFP in a statement that they felt “immense relief” that the pair were now in a “little corner of France”, even if “all we know for now is that they are out of prison”.

France had filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over their detention, saying they were held under a policy that “targets French nationals travelling in or visiting Iran”.

But in September, the ICJ suddenly dropped the case at France’s request, prompting speculation that closed-door talks were under way between the two countries for their release.

Iran has said the duo could be freed as part of a swap deal with France, which would also see the release of Iranian Mahdieh Esfandiari.

Esfandiari was arrested in France in February on charges of promoting “terrorism” on social media, according to French authorities.

Scheduled to go on trial in Paris from January 13, she was released on bail last month in a move welcomed by Tehran.

Barrot declined to comment when asked by France 2 if there had been a deal with Tehran.

Among the Europeans still jailed by Iran is Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, who was sentenced to death in 2017 on espionage charges his family vehemently rejects.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says it also received the remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel through the Red Cross.

Israel has released five Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas, offering a rare moment of relief for the families in Gaza.

The five men, freed on Monday evening, were taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah for medical examinations, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reported from outside the facility.

Relatives gathered at the hospital, some embracing the freed prisoners, while others anxiously sought information about missing family members.

“This is the first time since the ceasefire that Israeli forces have released unknown Palestinian prisoners,” said Khoudary.

Thousands of Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel, many held without charge under what rights groups call arbitrary detention.

Israel returns remains of Palestinians

Earlier on Monday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said it received the remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), bringing the total number of bodies handed over under the ceasefire agreement to 270.

Forensic teams have identified 78 bodies so far and will continue their examinations “in accordance with approved medical procedures and protocols” before returning the remains to families, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Officials previously reported that many of the returned bodies bore evidence of torture and abuse, including bound hands, blindfolds, and facial disfigurement, and were handed back without identification tags.

The handover forms part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, which includes prisoner and body exchanges mediated by Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, with involvement from the United States.

Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Khoudary said, “Many of the bodies returned show signs of torture.” She added that families of missing Palestinians are still searching for relatives among the dead.

“If these bodies are not identified, they will be buried along with other Palestinians in a mass grave in Deir el-Balah,” she said.

Israeli ceasefire violations

Despite a ceasefire, Israel continues to carry out deadly attacks. A source at Nasser Medical Complex told Al Jazeera Arabic that three Palestinians were killed on Monday by Israeli fire north of Rafah in southern Gaza.

The Israeli army said it launched strikes on southern Gaza, claiming individuals had crossed the “yellow line”, an Israeli-controlled area, in what it called a ceasefire violation.

The Israeli version of events could not be independently verified. It also remains unclear whether the Israeli military was referring to the same attack that killed the three Palestinians.

In Gaza City, a child was among three people wounded by Israeli fire in the city’s east, a source at al-Ahli Arab Hospital told Al Jazeera.

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said Israel continues to use quadcopter drones to drop grenades on buildings left partially standing. “Authorities here describe these acts as violations of the ceasefire,” he said.

The Gaza Government Media Office has accused Israel of committing more than 125 ceasefire violations since the truce took effect, warning that continued attacks threaten to reignite full-scale hostilities.

Handover comes as Trump says Hamas must disarm or be disarmed, ‘perhaps violently’.

Amiri is the fifth US citizen held by the Taliban government in Afghanistan to be freed this year.

An American citizen who had been detained in Afghanistan since December has been released through Qatari mediation.

The release of Amir Amiri, who was on his way back to the United States on Sunday, is the fifth US citizen to be freed by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, who returned to power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces from the country after 20 years of occupation and war.

Negotiations lasted several months after Qatari officials secured an initial meeting between Amiri and the US special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, sources with knowledge of the matter told Al Jazeera. The breakthrough that secured his release was reached this weekend, they said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Amiri’s release, saying it marked the US government’s determination to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad.

“While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” he said. “President [Donald] Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.”

Rubio did not provide details as to why or where Amiri was detained.

The other four American citizens released this year are Ryan Corbett, William McKenty, George Glezmann and Faye Hall.

Qatar, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also helped in the release of a British couple on September 19. They were imprisoned for months.

Qatar has been assisting the Trump administration in mediating the release of captives since Taliban forces seized Kabul on August 15, 2021, after the US-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile. 

While no country in the world formally recognises the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, Doha has maintained diplomatic channels with the Taliban to facilitate dialogue and provide an avenue for sensitive negotiations.

UK thanks Qatar for leading negotiations for the release of the pair after their arrest in February.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has released a British couple held for almost eight months on undisclosed charges.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara, 76, were released from prison on Friday after a court hearing and handed over to the United Kingdom‘s special representative to the country, Richard Lindsay. The move followed negotiations led by Qatar.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on social media that the couple had been arrested in February for “violating” Afghan law, but did not say which legislation had been broken.

UK officials were quick to express relief and to thank the mediating country.

“I welcome the release of Peter and Barbara Reynolds from detention in Afghanistan, and I know this long-awaited news will come as a huge relief to them and their family,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I want to pay tribute to the vital role played by Qatar.”

In a statement on Friday afternoon, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said the couple had arrived in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and would depart for London later. It also expressed its appreciation for the “fruitful cooperation” between the Afghan and UK officials.

‘Looking forward to return’

United Nations human rights experts had called on the Taliban in July to free the pair, having warned of the “rapid deterioration” of their physical and mental health, and stating that they “risk irreparable harm or even death”.

Images of the couple standing together on Friday with the UK’s special representative to the country, Richard Lindsay, at Kabul airport before their departure to Doha were broadcast on British broadcaster Sky News.

“We’ve been treated very well. We’re looking forward to seeing our children,” said Barbara, adding: “We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can.”

The couple were married in Kabul in 1970 and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan’s central province of Bamiyan, running educational programmes. They also became Afghan citizens.

When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021 they remained in the country against the advice of British officials.

The Reynolds’ family in the UK had made repeated calls for the couple’s release, saying they were being mistreated and held on undisclosed charges.

Hamish Falconer, the UK’s minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in a statement that he was “relieved… their ordeal has come to an end,” noting that the government in London had “worked intensively since their detention and has supported the family throughout”.

The release comes after Washington’s special envoy on hostages, Adam Boehler, made a rare visit on Saturday to Kabul to discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange.

At least one United States citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is held in Afghanistan.

Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of the US military.

A federal manhunt is under way for anyone involved in the assassination of the conservative commentator and Trump ally.

The FBI has released photos of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Investigators say they also have video footage but are withholding it while they work on identifying the person.

WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday publicly posted the files it had received from the Justice Department on the sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, responding to mounting pressure in Congress to force more disclosure in the case.

Still, the files mostly contain information that was already publicly known or available. The folders — posted on Google Drive — contained hundreds of image files of years-old court filings related to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he faced charges for sexually abusing teenage girls, and Maxwell, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence for assisting him.

The files also included video appearing to be body cam footage from police searches as well as recordings and summaries of law enforcement interviews with victims detailing the abuse they said they suffered.

The committee’s release of the files showed how lawmakers are eager to act on the issue as they return to Washington after a monthlong break. They quickly revived a political clash that has flummoxed House Republican leadership and roiled President Trump’s administration.

House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to quell an effort by Democrats and some Republicans to force a vote on a bill that would require the Justice Department to release all the information in the so-called Epstein files, with the exception of the victims’ personal information.

What’s in the released files

If the purpose of the release was to provide answers to a public still curious over the long concluded cases, the raw mechanics of the clunky rollout made that a challenge.

The committee at 6 p.m. released thousands of pages and videos via the cumbersome Google Drive, leaving it to readers and viewers to decipher new and interesting tidbits on their own.

The files released Tuesday included audio of an Epstein employee describing to a law enforcement official how “there were a lot of girls that were very, very young” visiting the home but couldn’t say for sure if they were minors.

Over the course of Epstein’s visits to the home, the man said, more than a dozen girls might visit, and he was charged with cleaning the room where Epstein had massages, twice daily.

Some pages were almost entirely redacted. Other documents related to Epstein’s Florida prosecution that led to a plea deal that has long been criticized as too lenient, including emails between the defense and prosecutors over the conditions of his probation after his conviction. Barbara Burns, a Palm Beach County prosecutor, expressed frustration as the defense pushed for fewer restrictions on their client: “I don’t know how to convey to him anymore than I already have that his client is a registered sex offender that was fortunate to get the deal of the century.”

Some of the interviews with officers from the Palm Beach Police Department date to 2005, according to timestamps read out by officials at the beginning of the files.

Most, if not all, of the text documents posted Tuesday had already been public. Notably, the probable cause affidavit and other records from the 2005 investigation into Epstein contained a notation indicating that they’d been previously released in a 2017 public records request. An internet search showed those files were posted to the website of the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office in July 2017.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, chided Republicans on the panel for releasing material that he said consisted almost entirely of already available information.

“The 33,000 pages of Epstein documents James Comer has decided to ‘release’ were already mostly public information. To the American people — don’t let this fool you,” Garcia said in a statement.

The disclosure also left open the question of why the Justice Department did not release the material directly to the public instead of operating through Capitol Hill.

Survivors meet with lawmakers

On Capitol Hill onTuesday, the House speaker and a bipartisan group of lawmakers met with survivors of abuse by Epstein and Maxwell.

“The objective here is not just to uncover, investigate the Epstein evils, but also to ensure that this never happens again and ultimately to find out why justice has been delayed for these ladies for so very long,” said Johnson, R-La., after he emerged from a two-hour meeting with six of the survivors.

“It is inexcusable. And it will stop now because the Congress is dialed in on this,” he added.

But there are still intense disagreements on how lawmakers should proceed. Johnson is pressing for the inquiry to be handled by the House Oversight Committee and supporting the committee as it releases its findings.

Push for disclosure continues

Meanwhile, Democrats and some Republicans were still trying to maneuver around Johnson’s control of the House floor to hold a vote on their bill to require the Justice Department to publicly release files. Democrats lined up in the House chamber Tuesday evening to sign a petition from Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, to force a vote. Three other Republicans also supported the maneuver, but Massie would need two more GOP lawmakers and every Democrat to be successful.

If Massie, who is pressing for the bill alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), is able to force a vote — which could take weeks — the legislation would still need to pass the Senate and be signed into law by Trump.

The clash suggests little has changed in Congress since late July, when Johnson sent lawmakers home early in hopes of cooling the political battle over the Epstein case. Members of both parties remain dissatisfied and are demanding more details on the years-old investigation into Epstein, the wealthy and well-connected financier whose 2019 death has sparked wide-ranging conspiracy theories and speculation.

“We continue to bring the pressure. We’re not going to stop until we get justice for all of the survivors and the victims,” Garcia told reporters.

Groves writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Eric Tucker, Kevin Freking and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, Mike Sisak in New York and Meg Kinnard in Chapin, S.C., contributed.

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform publishes thousands of page on Epstein case but two lawmakers still pushing for ‘full release’ of files.

A Republican-led US House of Representatives committee said it released 33,295 pages of files on the late high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as a pair of lawmakers continued to push for the “full release of the Epstein files” by the administration of President Donald Trump.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said on Tuesday that the thousands of pages on the Epstein case were provided by the Department of Justice and that the documents had been redacted to remove “victim identities and any child sexual abuse material”.

The mass document release comes as Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna continued to call for what Khanna described as “the full release of the Epstein files and justice for the survivors.”

Massie and Khanna’s “full release” proposal would require Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public all unclassified Epstein records in the possession of the Justice Department, including the FBI and US attorneys’ offices.

Massie and Khanna were scheduled to hold a news conference with some of Epstein’s victims on Wednesday morning to support their call for the full release of files in the high-profile case.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he believed Massie’s petition was “inartfully drafted”, because it lacked language that would protect the identities of victims who were sexually abused by Epstein.

Johnson also claimed the petition for the full release of the Epstein files was “moot” due to the work of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which had released thousands of pages of files on Monday.

“It’s superfluous at this point, and I think we’re achieving the desired end here,” Johnson said.

The committee subpoenaed the Justice Department and Epstein’s estate for documents and took a deposition from convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

In July, the Justice Department and the FBI released a memo stating that a “systematic review” of Epstein-related files “revealed no incriminating ‘client list’”, and said that no credible evidence had been found that Epstein had blackmailed prominent figures.

That announcement surprised many people, including prominent conservatives among Trump’s support base, who had been pushing for all Epstein-related documents to be released, a promise Trump had made during his re-election campaign.

A poll in July by Reuters/Ipsos found that a majority of Americans, including among Trump’s Republicans, believe his administration is hiding details on the Epstein case.

Epstein was linked to a sizeable number of high-profile politicians and businesspeople through his financial dealings and charitable contributions.

He was found dead in his New York City jail cell on August 10, 2019, where he was being held while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Some of Epstein’s victims were girls as young as 14.

JAPAN has released a terrifying AI-generated video showing residents what could happen if Mount Fuji erupted.

The footage, created by Tokyo’s Metropolitan government, warned locals that their city could one day be buried under ash as it urged them to remain vigilant.

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If Mount Fuji erupts, the ash is estimated to start pouring down on Tokyo within one to two hours, building a layer up to 10cm thick over the city.

Volcanic ash is formed during explosive eruptions when dissolved gases expand in magma and escape into the atmosphere.

The AI clip shows a huge grey cloud engulfing the sky as it mushrooms over the capital’s high-rise buildings.

Thick black ash spreads over the city covering cars, houses and roads.

A voiceover over the clip says: “The moment may arrive without any warning.

“Volcanic ash is made up of fine, jagged particles. Its unique qualities pose many hazards to health and society.”

Covered in smog, Tokyo appears at a standstill with planes and trains grounded as thick soot blankets train tracks and runways.

Video shows locals holding umbrellas and wearing masks, while cars sit parked in heaps of the volcanic cinders.

In a bid to educate Tokyo’s locals on how to prepare for the colossal event, the clip shows a family opening up a store cupboard full of provisions.

It comes as the government’s cabinet office released a separate video on Tuesday in which it urged residents to “visualize specific scenarios” so they could be better prepared.

And in March, the government issued recommendations suggesting residents keep a two-week supply of essentials in their home.

Officials have stepped up their warnings to locals amid ongoing fears the country is due an environmental disaster.

Estimates suggest eruption damages would cost over $16 billion as areas are plunged into darkness and houses collapse under the ash.

The video has sparked fear among locals who say the prospect of an eruption is “terrifying”.

One resident said: “The thought of volcanic ash causing transportation chaos in the Tokyo metropolitan area is terrifying.”

Some experts have criticised the video for stirring up irrational worry and potentially deterring tourists from visiting.

Japan is no stranger to volcanic eruptions though, as seen in 2022 when plumes of ash spewed into the air after mount Sakurajima burst into life.

And about ten per cent of the world’s active volcanoes can be found in Japan as it lies inside the ‘Ring of Fire’ – one of the most active seismic zones in the world.

A chain of six volcanoes were set off in the perilous zone earlier this month with explosions sending ash as high as 5.28 miles above sea level.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the largest volcano in the region, exploded at three miles with a stream of scalding lava.

This was followed by four other volcanoes in the region – the Krasheninnikov, Shiveluch, Bezymianny and the smaller, Karymsk – which each spewed colossal columns of ash.

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Aug. 7 (UPI) — Open AI announced Thursday the release of GPT-5, the latest and most-advanced iteration of its artificial intelligence technology, which will be free to users.

The company said the program, which underwent 5,000 hours of testing, is smarter, faster and more useful than the previous model, GPT-4, and will be especially efficient at writing, coding and for use in the healthcare sector.

“I tried going back to GPT-4, and it was quite miserable,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told reporters.

OpenAI said it expects to reach 700 million weekly users on ChatGPT this week, and is talking with investors who are discussing a potential stock valuation of $500 billion, CNBC has reported.

While GPT-4 can refuse to answer user questions if they are “potentially risky,” GPT-5 has been designed to provide high-level responses within certain safety restraints so it cannot be used to cause harm, the company said.

“GPT-5 has been trained to recognize when a task can’t be finished, avoid speculation and can explain limitations more clearly, which reduces unsupported claims compared to prior models,” said Michelle Pokrass, a trainer at OpenAI.

GPT-5 marks the first time that users have access to a reasoning feature, which allows the software to “think” or carry out what’s known as an internal chain of thoughts before responding, the company said. The program comes with a usage cap for free users, who will have access to GPT-5 mini if they reach the free limit.

Residents of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, North East Nigeria, who live near the Alau Dam and its downstream channel, are in a state of confusion, grappling with conflicting government directives on the dam’s water release. The mixed messages are sparking widespread concern over potential flood risks.

The conflicting messages from these two key government bodies have left residents uncertain about the immediate danger and the appropriate course of action. While the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) suggests a controlled release of the dam that shouldn’t cause panic, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is demanding immediate evacuation, indicating a potentially serious flood threat.

“We really don’t know which warning or advisory to follow now,” said Yunus Isa, a resident whose house was submerged in the devastating September flood last year. “I hope we will not be left in the darkness about reality until it is too late.”

The September flood resulted from the breakdown of the Alau Dam after years of neglect and warnings that the flood would happen. It swept through several local government areas of Borno State and affected about one million residents, according to the emergency management agency. HumAngle investigations found money trails that were allocated to the repair of the dam over the years, yet the repairs never happened.

This Wednesday, the CBDA announced the opening of the Alau Dam’s spillway gates to release water downstream. In a special announcement, they tried to calm fears, stating, “The general public should note that the spillway gates of the Alau Dam have been opened for water in the reservoir to spill downstream steadily… people, especially those living within the River Ngadda and Gwange area, should not panic by seeing the water passing through its normal way.” 

CBDA’s Executive Director for Engineering, Engr. Mohammed Shettima, who signed the statement, added that the authority would keep monitoring the dam’s activities until water levels recede.

However, SEMA has issued an urgent public notice concerning the dam’s water release with a stern directive: “Evacuate Immediately: All communities and individuals living or working near the Gadabul River and its tributaries must relocate to higher ground without delay.” SEMA further cautioned against approaching riverbanks, citing “strong currents and sudden surges” as “life-threatening hazards,” and advised residents to secure property and stay informed through local media.

When contacted for clarity, Borno State Permanent Secretary for Information and Internal Security, Aminu Chamalwa, stated that his ministry has reviewed both press statements and will address the matter on Friday to prevent any miscommunication.

The current confusion over the Alau Dam’s water release comes nearly a year after its catastrophic collapse and months after the Federal Government inaugurated a significant reconstruction project. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation held a groundbreaking ceremony in March this year for a crucial ₦80 billion project to reconstruct, dredge, and upgrade the vital infrastructure. However, despite that formal flag-off, nearly 120 days later, no significant work has reportedly been done on the dam.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday released records of the FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. despite opposition from the slain Nobel laureate’s family and the civil rights group that he led until his 1968 assassination.

The digital document dump includes more than 240,000 pages of records that had been under a court-imposed seal since 1977, when the FBI first gathered the records and turned them over to the National Archives and Records Administration.

In a lengthy statement released Monday, King’s two living children, Martin III, 67, and Bernice, 62, said their father’s killing has been a “captivating public curiosity for decades.” But the pair emphasized the personal nature of the matter and urged that the files “be viewed within their full historical context.”

The Kings got advance access to the records and had their own teams reviewing them. Those efforts continued even as the government granted public access. Among the documents are leads the FBI received after King’s assassination and details of the CIA’s fixation on King’s pivot to international anti-war and anti-poverty movements in the years before he was killed. It was not immediately clear whether the documents shed new light on King’s life, the civil rights movement or his murder.

“As the children of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, his tragic death has been an intensely personal grief — a devastating loss for his wife, children, and the granddaughter he never met — an absence our family has endured for over 57 years,” they wrote. “We ask those who engage with the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family’s continuing grief.”

They also repeated the family’s long-held contention that James Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinating King, was not solely responsible, if at all.

Bernice King was 5 years old when her father was killed at the age of 39. Martin III was 10.

A statement from the office of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the disclosure “unprecedented” and said many of the records had been digitized for the first time. She praised President Trump for pushing the issue.

Release is ‘transparency’ to some, a ‘distraction’ for others

Trump promised as a candidate to release files related to President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination. When Trump took office in January, he signed an executive order to declassify the JFK records, along with those associated with Robert F. Kennedy’s and MLK’s 1968 assassinations.

The government unsealed the JFK records in March and disclosed some RFK files in April.

The announcement from Gabbard’s office included a statement from Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece, who is an outspoken conservative and has broken from King’s children on various topics — including the FBI files. Alveda King said she was “grateful to President Trump” for his “transparency.”

Separately, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi’s social media account featured a picture of the attorney general with Alveda King.

Besides fulfilling Trump’s order, the latest release means another alternative headline for the president as he tries to mollify supporters angry over his administration’s handling of records concerning the sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself behind bars while awaiting trial in 2019, during Trump’s first presidency. Trump on Friday ordered the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony but stopped short of unsealing the entire case file.

Bernice King and Martin Luther King III did not mention Trump in their statement Monday. But Bernice King later posted on her personal Instagram account a black-and-white photo of her father, looking annoyed, with the caption “Now, do the Epstein files.”

And some civil rights activists did not spare the president.

“Trump releasing the MLK assassination files is not about transparency or justice,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton. “It’s a desperate attempt to distract people from the firestorm engulfing Trump over the Epstein files and the public unraveling of his credibility among the MAGA base.”

The King Center, founded by King’s widow and now led by Bernice King, reacted separately from what Bernice said jointly with her brother. The King Center statement framed the release as a distraction — but from more than short-term political controversy.

“It is unfortunate and ill-timed, given the myriad of pressing issues and injustices affecting the United States and the global society,” the King Center, linking those challenges to MLK’s efforts. “This righteous work should be our collective response to renewed attention on the assassination of a great purveyor of true peace.”

Records mean a new trove of research material

The King records were initially intended to be sealed until 2027, until Justice Department attorneys asked a federal judge to lift the sealing order early. Scholars, history buffs and journalists have been preparing to study the documents for new information about his assassination on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King co-founded in 1957 as the civil rights movement blossomed, opposed the release. The group, along with King’s family, argued that the FBI illegally surveilled King and other civil rights figures, hoping to discredit them and their movement.

It has long been established that then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was intensely interested if not obsessed with King and others he considered radicals. FBI records released previously show how Hoover’s bureau wiretapped King’s telephone lines, bugged his hotel rooms and used informants to gather information, including evidence of King’s extramarital affairs.

“He was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the King children said in their statement.

“The intent … was not only to monitor, but to discredit, dismantle and destroy Dr. King’s reputation and the broader American Civil Rights Movement,” they continued. “These actions were not only invasions of privacy, but intentional assaults on the truth — undermining the dignity and freedoms of private citizens who fought for justice, designed to neutralize those who dared to challenge the status quo.”

The Kings said they “support transparency and historical accountability” but “object to any attacks on our father’s legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods.”

Opposition to King intensified even after the Civil Rights Movement compelled Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After those victories, King turned his attention to economic justice and international peace. He criticized rapacious capitalism and the Vietnam War. King asserted that political rights alone were not enough to ensure a just society. Many establishment figures like Hoover viewed King as a communist threat.

King’s children still don’t accept the original explanation of assassination

King was assassinated as he was aiding striking sanitation workers in Memphis, part of his explicit turn toward economic justice.

Ray pleaded guilty to King’s murder. Ray later renounced that plea and maintained his innocence until his death in 1998.

King family members and others have long questioned whether Ray acted alone or if he was even involved. Coretta Scott King asked for the probe to be reopened, and in 1998, then-Atty. Gen. Janet Reno ordered a new look. Reno’s Justice Department said it “found nothing to disturb the 1969 judicial determination that James Earl Ray murdered Dr. King.”

In their latest statement, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III repeated their assertions that Ray was set up. They pointed to a 1999 civil case, brought by the King family, in which a Memphis jury concluded that Martin Luther King Jr. had been the target of a conspiracy.

“As we review these newly released files,” the Kings said, “we will assess whether they offer additional insights beyond the findings our family has already accepted.”

Barrow writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Safiyah Riddle contributed to this report from Montgomery, Ala.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will release an estimated $1.3 billion in previously withheld grant money for schools nationwide, but has warned states that it will rescind funding not spent for “allowable activities.”

About $5 billion to $6 billion remains in limbo. In typical years, this funding would have begun reaching states and school districts starting on July 1. California joined about two dozen states this week in suing for the release of the funds, calling the Trump administration action “unconstitutional, unlawful and arbitrary.”

In filing their lawsuit, California officials estimated that they were due close to a billion dollars. The California Department of Education said it received word Friday that the partial release represented about $158 million of that total.

The partial release came after 10 Republican senators on Wednesday sent a letter imploring the Trump administration to allow frozen education money to be sent to states.

The senators said the withheld money supported programs that had longstanding bipartisan support and were critical to local communities. The money had been appropriated by Congress in a bill that was signed by President Trump.

“We share your concern about taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs,” the senators wrote to the Office of Management and Budget. “However, we do not believe that is happening with these funds.”

The Trump administration has argued otherwise, alleging that funding has been used to undermine policy goals that include having all classes conducted in English. The administration also accused agencies of using funds to advocate for immigrants who lack legal status in the country.

The notification to states about the release includes a long list of laws that states are warned not to violate including the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bans discrimination based on sex.

“To the extent that a grantee uses grant funds for such unallowable activities,” which the notice does not define specifically, “the [Education] Department intends to take appropriate enforcement action … which may include the recovery of funds.”

In separate actions, the Trump administration already has threatened California with pulling all federal funding for violations of Trump administration policy. This threat was made recently in connection with the state allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports and government officials designating their jurisdictions as sanctuaries for immigrants.

What the money pays for

The withheld money paid for after-school and summer programs, adult literacy, English language instruction, teacher training and migrant education supports. The Office of Management and Budget said it held back the funds as part of a review to align spending with White House priorities.

The funds released Friday were partly intended to support many summer school programs, some of which shut down across the country due to the hold-back. This funding also supports after-school programming during the regular school year.

Without the money, school districts and nonprofits such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs of America had said they would have to close or scale back educational offerings this fall.

The money released Friday also pays for child care so low-income parents can work. In these programs, children also receive reading and math help, along with enrichment in science and the arts.

Despite the money’s release Friday, schools and nonprofits have already been disrupted by two weeks of uncertainty. Some programs have made plans to close, and others have fallen behind on hiring and contracting for the fall.

“While we are thrilled the funds will be made available,” said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, “the administration’s inexplicable delay in disbursing them caused massive chaos and harm.” Many after-school programs had canceled plans to open in the fall, she said.

David Schuler, executive director of AASA, an association of school superintendents, praised the release of after-school money but said that the remaining education funding should not be withheld.

“Districts should not be in this impossible position where the Administration is denying funds that had already been appropriated to our public schools, by Congress,” Schuler said in a statement. “The remaining funds must be released immediately — America’s children are counting on it.”

Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees education spending, was among the senators who signed the letter, which called for the full release of funds, including for adult education and teaching English as a second language.

“The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,” the senators wrote. “This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent.”

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) called on the White House to release the rest of the money.

“At this very moment, schools nationwide are crunching the numbers to figure out how many teachers they will need to lay off as Trump continues to hold up billions in funding,” Murray said Friday in a statement. “Every penny of this funding must flow immediately.”

Ma writes for the Associated Press.

July 9 (UPI) — Barbie dolls have come a long way from the ultra-thin and super-blonde original doll. Now, in an effort to make the doll more reflective of the girls who enjoy them, Mattel has launched a Barbie with Type 1 diabetes.

“Introducing a Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls. “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”

To ensure that Barbie with Type 1 diabetes is truly representative of the community, Mattel partnered with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF).

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little or no insulin, leading to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and or long-term complications.

Barbie worked closely with Breakthrough T1D to ensure the authenticity of the doll. Her attributes include:

• Continuous glucose monitor: The doll wears a CGM on her arm to help manage her Type 1 diabetes. CGMs are small, wearable devices that continuously measure a person’s blood-sugar levels. To keep her CGM in place, she uses heart-shaped medical tape and she uses a phone that displays a CGM app to help track her blood sugar levels.
• Insulin pump: Barbie has an insulin pump that allows for automated insulin dosing as needed, attached to her waist.
• Blue polka dot outfit: The doll wears a stylish polka dot top and matching skirt with ruffles. The color blue and circle print are nods to the global symbols that represent diabetes awareness.
• Purse: She has a pastel blue purse, perfect for her to carry essentials, such as Type 1 diabetes supplies or snacks.

“We were thrilled when Barbie approached us to collaborate on the development of the Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, CEO of Breakthrough T1D. “I have lived with T1D since I was 13, and my brother since he was 3, so this partnership is deeply personal — it means the world to be part of bringing greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families. It’s an honor to work with a brand that shares our commitment to showing children that a life with Type 1 diabetes can be full, vibrant, and empowering.”

In continued partnership with Breakthrough T1D, Barbie donated dolls to the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C.

Barbie continues to include many dolls modeled after prominent people or celebrate diversity. In April, Barbie released a Le Bron James look-alike as a “Kenbassador,” and last year it released the Barbie movie on HBO Max with an American Sign Language version. In 2024, Barbie released an athletic version, and in 2023, it released a doll modeled after Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller as part of its “Inspiring Women” dolls.

Disney Plus new shows and series have been revealed for summer 2025, including new Marvel series Ironheart, The Bear season 4, Washington Black and Ocean with David Attenborough

With UK temperatures reaching huge heights some of us wanting to hide away in doors, Disney Plus has all you need.

With a new summer line-up of shows including new seasons of some fan favourites, new Disney shows and some new additions from elsewhere, there’s something for everyone. We have a new Marvel show, season four of a hit favourite and some nature too, as well as some thrillers, animation and intriguing new entrainment.

Of course not everyone wants to stay indoors with summer finally here, so there’s always the option of watching some classics or the new and latest additions to Disney Plus on the go. For those who are hiding out from the heat, there’s plenty to stream on the big screen.

Arriving in August, there’s FX’s Alien: Earth which sees a space research vessel crash-land on Earth. It leads to a group of tactical soldiers making a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.

It’s the year 2120, and humans are living beside cyborgs and synthetics – but a new technological advancement changes everything as hybrids are created, marking a new dawn in the race for immortality. As the series goes on, the hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.

READ MORE: This week’s must-watch TV: Wimbledon, property glow-ups and Fern Britton

Viewers can see this series on August 13. Also coming soon is the third part of Abbot Elementary season four. The workplace comedy following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers in a public school in Philadelphia, and a slightly tone-deaf principal, continues with seven new episodes on July 2.

As ever there’s drama and comedy and plenty to keep you watching. On July 1, fans of the hit show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will get to watch the reunion special. After a shocking end to the second series, secrets and scandals will apparently come to the forefront of the special episode when it drops next week.

With new footage that has yet to air, a surprise announcement and the usual drama, there’s plenty of twists and turns ahead no doubt, hosted by Nick Viall and starring some of the show favourites. Also coming very soon, July 23, is limited new series Washington Black.

Based on the bestselling novel with the same name, the series, according to Disney Plus’ synopsis, “follows the 19th-century odyssey of George Washington ‘Wash’ Black, an eleven-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny.”

The youngster is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that “challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom and love” after a harrowing incident at the start of the series. The synopsis continues: “As he navigates uncharted lands and impossible odds, Wash finds the courage to imagine a future beyond the confines of the society he was born into.”

Its cast includes Sterling K. Brown, Ernest Kingsley Jr., Eddie Karanja, Tom Ellis and Sharon Duncan-Brewster. Also coming soon is National Geographic series JAWS @ 50, arriving on July 11. A documentary celebrating the hit film 50 years after it launched in Hollywood, featuring director Steven Spielberg.

The inside story will “chart the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made”. There’s behind-the-scenes footage, rare archival footage and interviews, as well as comment from top shark scientists.

This is certainly one for Jaws fans, or anyone interested in film… or even sharks. Chris Hemsworth’s Limitless series is returning with another instalment soon too, with a date not yet revealed.

Titled Limitless: Live Better Now, the series will “will delve into a series of physical and mental obstacles that people across the world face daily”. Chris will apparently be pushed to “explore and grow” like never before, travelling to the ends of the Earth to check out some of the world’s best-kept secrets to a better life, while checking out the latest science too.

The final upcoming series, arriving on 11 July, is ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires. The fourth instalment of the movie series sees Zed and Addison take an unexpected detour on a road trip, landing them amid a monster rivalry.

This time tensions will flare as it’s Daywalkers vs Vampires, with the characters having to do what they can to convince sworn enemies to unite to take down an even bigger threat. There’s plenty of summer content already up on the streaming platform too, including Spanish original series I, Addict, National Geographic series Underdogs and David Attenborough’s latest series, Ocean.

If that isn’t enough, Disney’s live action remake of Snow White is ready to stream, as well as new action and science fiction series Predator: Killer of Killers, while Marvel’s latest show Ironheart is ready to watch too. In this series, set after the events of the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a young, genius inventor named Riri Williams is ready to make her mark on the world, only to get caught up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins, known as ‘The Hood’.

There’s also a new season of hit animation Phineas & Ferb, which sees the crew tackle another 104 days of summer and are set for exciting new adventures featuring some unforgettable milestones. The synopsis read: “The boys will break several world records, Candace will take her driver’s license test, and Perry will finally make a trip to the vet!”

Finally, fans waiting for the latest season of hit series The Bear are in luck too as this is now on the platform. As it kicks off, the characters are “pushing forward, determined not only to survive, but also to take The Bear to the next level.” The synopsis reads: “With new challenges around every corner, the team must adapt, adjust and overcome. This season, the pursuit of excellence isn’t just about getting better – it’s about deciding what’s worth holding on to.”

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